He is not sure how much longer he will be with the Portland Trail Blazers.
He is 7,854 miles from home, only sees his parents and family over Skype, and is fresh off a summer of competing in the FIBA World Championships. And his name is not Rudy Fernandez.
If anyone can relate about an uncertain future in Portland, it would be Patty Mills.
The day after Fernandez openly confessed his desire to return home to Spain and for the Blazers to release him of his contract, the disgruntled shooting guard sat out Portland’s first training camp Tuesday morning with “vision trouble”, while Mills officially entered more unknown territory.
“Disappointing is the right word,” said the 22-year-old Mills, who will compete for a roster spot in a deep backcourt that boasts Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless and rookie point guards Armon Johnson and Elliot Williams.
“With the (Australian) national team, we had high expectations because we knew with the guys on the team we could have done something special. That didn’t go to plan. And knowing I was out of contract, that kind of hurt more as well. I don’t know what is going to happen. I just have to come in here and do what I’ve been doing all summer and see how it unfolds.”
The second-year point guard and restricted free agent will either be waived in the next month or Portland will have to clear a roster spot for him in a jammed backcourt. With the Blazers already carrying 15 guaranteed contracts and NBA rosters needing to be finalized on Oct. 25, Mills finds himself in a tough situation.
In the past three months, Mills has gone from an infrequently used NBA rookie to being overshadowed by Johnson at the Las Vegas Summer League, only to watch his basketball stock drop after the Australian National team was eliminated by Slovenia at the World Championships in early September.
Last season, Mills returned from a fractured right foot in December and appeared in 10 games while averaging 2.6 points. The former second-round selection returned to Portland last Friday with no job security and more on his mind than just basketball.
“I think it’s preparing mentally more than anything. Physically, I feel like I am ready to go, but mentally is going to be the challenge,” Mills said.
Now with his first full day of training camp behind him, Mills has no choice but to play the waiting game. As much as he wants to stay in Portland, he knows his time with the Blazers could be over at any moment.
“I’ve kind of taken a step back and now see things evolve as a professional player, but the business side of this game affects a whole lot,” he said. “I know the basics, but so much can happen to a player or his contract. For me, it was great to get back in the flow of playing games with the national team. With my injuries in the past, I haven’t put back-to-back games together so I can get that feeling back. But that is the main goal for me in the future, is getting back to playing consistent basketball.”
The Blazers’ roster now stands at 20 players.
If Mills somehow makes the team, chances are he will be buried on Nate McMillan’s bench and could even make a return trip to the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, where he spent two stints last season.
If Portland waives him, Mills could possibly sign a mid-level exception as teams around the league trim their preseason rosters for the upcoming regular season.
The Blazers extended the Canberra, Australia, native a qualifying offer worth $943,000 back on Aug. 3.
Aaron Goodwin, Mills’ agent, was unavailable for comment, but two league sources confirmed that multiple teams, including the New Orleans Hornets, have had discussions about the reserve point guard.
“The chances of Patty making that team (Portland) are very small. It all depends on what happens with Rudy,” one source with knowledge of the situation explained. “But with the way he plays in the open court and his international experience, he could find a nice home in this league as a third point guard option. It just depends if he wants to be the 15th man in Portland.”
